Book 7, Question 20
Why Does Sleet Bounce and Snow Float?
Sleet and snow both fall in cold weather, but they feel very different. Sleet is made of small, hard pellets of ice, so it bounces. Snowflakes are fluffy crystals that hold air, so they flutter and float.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 7
More fun facts
- In the middle latitudes, almost all precipitation starts out as snow high in the clouds, even in summer.
- Snow only has to fall through about 1,000 feet of above-freezing air to melt into rain.
- Snowflakes form when water vapor turns straight into ice, skipping the liquid stage.
- Snowflakes can even be called minerals, because they are solid, natural crystals.
- Sleet starts as snow, melts into rain in a warm layer, then freezes again into ice pellets before it lands.
- Sleet storms usually don't last long, because they often happen as a weather front passes.
- Freezing rain falls as liquid but freezes when it hits cold roads, trees and power lines.
Questions kids ask
Does rain start as snow?
In the middle latitudes, most precipitation starts as snow high in the clouds, even in summer.
What is the difference between sleet and freezing rain?
Sleet freezes into ice pellets before it lands. Freezing rain lands as liquid and freezes on contact.